Issue 1, Volume 114, Publication Date--August 28, 2019 by The Echo at UCA

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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W E D N E S D AY

AUGUST 28, 2019 Volume 114— Issue 1

ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST

CONWAY

CampusLife:

Sports:

Entertainment:

Baridon Hall takes victor y at annual Battle of the Halls

Bear volleyball kicked off its season with purple and gray scrimmage

Taylor Swift stays relevant in the music world by releasing ”Lover ”

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Challenge course opens to campus, community in September

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by Lauren McLemore Associate Editor

THE NEWSDESK

Behind UCA’s intramural fields is a sky high, obstacle course structure that is known at the Challenge Course and, after a long summer of construction, will officially open on Tuesday, Sept. 3. According to the UCA site that provides challenge course construction updates, the course will include 10 obstacle High Static Team course, 4 stand alone High Ropes challenges, 17 low team challenges, 2 outdoor climbing walls, and 2 dual ziplines. Its goal is to provide an “outdoor environment where UCA and the rest of the community will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities that can be organized to focus on topics such as: team building, self growth, and recreation.” The course is the brainchild of Director of Campus Recreation, Richard H. Hammond, who started the process in 2016 by getting approved to write a proposal. “At my past university we built one for the students,

FROM THE NEWS EDITOR

I N T E R N AT I O N A L Fires spread across Amazon into Bolivia Amid international alarm over fires in Brazil’s Amazon region, Bolivia is facing devastating fires of its own with flames devouring farmland and environmentally sensitive forests. Bolivia has had 13,396 fires in August alone – a 422 percent increase from July. According to Bolivian President Evo Morales, 4,000 state employees and volunteers are currently battling flames.

N AT I O N A L Florida man stuffs two steaks in pants Michael Owens, 61, was arrested after police said he tried to steal two packs of steaks frowm a Publix in St. Augustine, Florida, by shoving the meat down his pants, according to WFOXTV. Owens was reportedly caught on camera grabbing two packs of rib-eye steaks worth $56.36, putting them in his pants and walking out of the store. A loss prevention officer who saw the steak swipe apprehended Owens as he exited the store, according to the report. The steaks were recovered but weren’t allowed back on store shelves.

photo courtesy of uca.edu

The challenge course at UCA stands nearly finished on a cloudy day. The idea for the course came from Director of

Campus Recreation, Richard H. Hammond, who began the process of bringing it to campus in 2016 and will finally see its opening day on Sept. 3. and it was well received by the university and local community,” said Hammond. “Once arriving here and spending time learning the university and the area, I realized that developing a course here would be a good thing for the university and the Conway community.” Hammond, along with Assistant Director

of Challenge Course and COPA, Robert Stine, said that having the course on a college campus provides student organizations with accessiblity to the resource at a better value without having to leave campus. They said it also contributed to the design process and allowed them to better meet the needs of students, faculty and staff.

However, it is also open to the community. “We already have three groups reserving the course in September and have had a lot of inquiries about the course from other groups,” Stine said. The grand opening will take place at 1:30 on Sept. 3. Hammond said that they are planning to have a ribboncutting ceremony as well as a

GALLERY

UCA sets fundraising records in previous year by matt smothers Campus Life Editor

Maryann Cash, 23, and Nan McCarthy, 20, were arrested after stealing a stroller worth $1,000 from Bambi Bay in Middleton, New Jersey. On a surveillance video shared by the store’s owner, three shoplifters are seen walking through the doors with their children. One of the women collapsed a stroller and then took it out of the store, but left behind the child she came in with. The manager said the store will add additional security cameras in the future, and is considering putting sensors on products.

photo courtesy of uca.edu

“Conway Depot circa 1940s” by Gene Hatfield. Artwork showcasing Hatfield’s local and American paintings have been on display at UCA Downtown for the month of August.

American art exhibit celebrates art professor’s legacy by lauren mccabe Editor

S TAT E Capital murder charge filed after video release Marco Deshon Clark, 35, has been charged with capital murder after he turned himself in according to the Craighead County prosecutors office. Clark confessed to killing his ex girlfriend, Melinda Coburn who had taken out a protective order against Clark. Before turning himself in, Clark posted a video to facebook saying that Coburn deserved it and asking who his next victim should be.

WHAT’SAHEAD: UCABaumGalleryissettohost diverseexhibitionofthreeartists

Art lovers of all ages can visit UCA Downtown during their open hours until Aug. 30 to view an exhibit, titled “Travelin’ Man” by profilific artist, war veteran and former UCA professor Gene Hatfield. In his 40-year career of teaching at UCA, Hatfield’s impact was felt in both the art and theatre department. Receiving the honorable title in 1995, Professor Emeritus Hatfield created and possessed a collection of multi-media collages, paintings and sculptures during his time at the university. After his death in 2017, those who still support and cherish his artwork created the exhibition “Travelin’ Man” to display his art. This exhibit features paintings of American scenes from Hatfield’s personal collection that have rarely been displayed. Mathilda Hatfield, one of Hatfield’s daughters, said that when her father’s paintings are normally shown, the art does not usually show or pertain

much to American art. “Last spring, [there] was an exhibit of his paintings of France,” Hatfield said. “When I was asked to do this show, I thought it would fun to show some [artwork] that hadn’t been shown or had rarely been shown.” According to uca.edu/ news, it is estimated that Hatfield created more than 2,000 pieces of art during his lifetime, much of which was temporary by nature. However, what remains of his life’s work is enjoyed by those who knew and loved him as much as his artwork. Hatfield knew that the space to display her father’s art work at UCA Downtown was limited, but her motivation to stack the art work in order to achieve more room allowed the exhibit to happen. Hatfield estimated that she could display around 15 pieces of art. “I found 15 scenes of America — Faulkner County, Conway, [UCA] campus, New Orleans, New Mexico — places like that,” Hatfield said. “One reason I called it ‘Travelin’ Man is because my dad traveled extensively, but yet he always

Index: 2

4Police Beat 4 4People of UCA 4

few vendors. “We have gotten Andy’s, Kona Ice, and Pineapple Whip to sponsor this event, and they will be on site giving away some of their products and coupons,” said Hammond. A few areas of the course will be open at the grand opening for attendees to try for free as long as they are wearing closed-toed shoes and appropriate athletic wear. There will also be a few other days during the fall semester where students will be allowed to come out to the course and try certain elements for free. As winter approaches, however, the course may not be open, because it cannot be operated during freezing or wet weather. “We do expect that weather will have an impact on accessibility during a few months of the year,” said Stine. “The course will be closed over the winter break.” The project was funded by the campus recreation reserve, which is where some of the funds from the student campus recreation fee are placed. All reservation material and prices can be found at uca.edu/campusrecreation.

PHILANTHROPY

3 women leave child, take stroller

4Students Say

4Opinion 4Entertainment 7 5, 8 4Sports

considered Faulkner County and Conway to be his home.” Hatfield’s work can be found across America and is represented in public and private collections in France; England; Washington, D.C.; New York City; Little Rock and Conway. He also donated a large body of his work to the UCA Foundation. As the popularity of Gene Hatfield’s art remains, UCA Downtown reached out to Hatfield, hoping that she could provide her father’s art for an exhibition period in their gallery. “Some [paintings] are a part of our family collection,” Hatfield said. “Some are from when he first started teaching at UCA in 1948.” Some artworks from the “Travelin’ Man” exhibit are for sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Gene Hatfield Art Scholarship and the Nicole Wable-Hatfield International Studies Scholarship, both available through the UCA Foundation. “We are trying something

See Paintings - page 2

UCA set several fundraising records for the 2018-19 school year, raising over $30 million in fundraisers and nearly $1.5 million in private scholarships. This was roughly $20 million more than the amount raised during the 2017-18 year. “I am thrilled with the response and the monies donated [and] collected,” Director of Professional Development and Training at UCA Charlotte Strickland said. “As a UCA alumna and current employee, I believe our institution always deserved more attention and funding from alumni, businesses, and the community. It is exciting to witness the change in mindset and culture! And the ultimate winner is the student, receiving financial assistance to complete their education. That’s always the end goal.” Shaneil Ealy, the Associate Vice President of Outreach at UCA, was also visibly excited about the record-setting year. “I think that’s amazing that the university has raised so much money! Kudos to the departments and the foundation that made it happen,” Ealy said. Angela Webster, Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion at UCA, believes that UCA purposefully gives, and because of that, has been able to reach such a fundraising goal in return. “I am not surprised that we are realizing greater philanthropic aspirations. UCA is a community of givers,” Webster said. “Faculty and staff, in particular, are generous with our time, talent, and

Social:

treasure. We purposefully give, knowing that education is an individual good that contributes to human flourishing and it is a public good that advances the larger society in a multitude of positive ways.” According to the original article on uca. edu/news, President Houston Davis said he was “thrilled that [UCA] continue[s] to raise more and more private funds for university support and specifically, for student scholarships.” “The generosity of [UCA’s]donors ensures [UCA] students, many of whom are first-generation college students, have the resources they need to earn life-changing college degrees and impact economic and cultural growth in Arkansas and beyond,” Davis said. The UCA Foundation provides students with scholarships for educational opportunities. It also provides faculty grants that enhance learning at UCA and encourage creative programs as well as future programs. According to its website, the purpose of the UCA Foundation is to “solicit and manage, endowment funds for scholarships, university programs, buildings, and funds for current operating needs of the foundation and the university...to further the goals of the University of Central Arkansas by securing and carefully managing private funds for the support of the university.” The list of Foundation Scholarships can be found at uca.edu/foundationThe site also contains a link to apply for the scholarships,as well as an email and phone number for additional information, which are foundation@uca. edu and 501-450-3650. For more information on fundraising or donations go to https://uca.edu/giving/.

Inside:

Opinion:

Phone: 501-499-9822 E-mail:ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

It is important to have an opinion.

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2/ August 28, 2019

NEWS

ucanews.live

Police Beat The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports by News Editor Sarah Coleman

Scam in bitcoin results in threat On Aug. 21, Officer Jordan Bailey was dispatched to the lobby of the UCA Police Department to investigate an individual receiving threatening text messages. UCA student Joshua Adesina informed Bailey that he was running a scam where he would receive money from people and send it to his childhood friend, Agbasi Samuel. Samuel would take the money, convert it to bitcoin currency, and send it back to the owners. After Adesina confronted Samuel about owners not receiving their bitcoin currency, Samuel began

to threaten Adesina’s life. Adesina has cut ties with the scam and does not believe to be in danger. No charges were pressed.

destroyed at the Physical Plant. Jones was given a warning for the headlight.

Marijuana stem Broken headlight found, destroyed leads to drug find Officer Kelsey Dale was

Nonstudents Malik Jones, 19, Ethan Patrick, 20 and Dixie Ruiz, 20, were stopped by Officer Jordan Bailey on Aug. 25 for a headlight that was out. Upon making contact with the car, Bailey noticed suspicious behavior in the back seat. Jones consented to the searching of his vehicle and upon searching, Bailey seized two pipes, two grinders, and two grams of marijuana. The seized property was

called in the evening on Aug. 19 by Bethany Hill, an RA at Stadium Park Apartments, who noted a strong odor of marijuana. Hill went into the apartment and brought Dale a marijuana stem. Officer Dale destroyed the marijuana stem. Student Amaya Ross, the resident of the apartment where the marijuana stem was located, was not on scene when Hill conducted room checks.

photo courtesy of Encyclopedia of Arkansas

An untitled watercolor of scene in France by Gene Hatfield; circa 1970. During his tenure at UCA, Mr. Hatfield taught classes in drawing, painting, sculpture, crafts, design, art history and art appreciation.

Paintings: 4 Continued

Late professor’s art draws crowds

from page 1

new in that we are making prints of one of the watercolors so people can still have one of his paintings, and it’s a limited number — just 50 prints — made,” Hatfield said. Conway resident Tracy McGarrity attended the exhibit’s opening reception to view Gene’s gallery work. “The exhibit was an

interesting retrospective of some of the artist’s American travels,” McGarrity said. “Works included watercolors from 1948 ranging to some of his latest oils created in 2011. Pictures [included] beautiful snow scenes and landscapes of old Conway. It was really incredible to see the range in

his artistic techniques.” The “Travelin’ Man” art exhibit at UCA Downtown, located at 1105 W. Oak St. in downtown Conway, is open through Aug. 30. The gallery at UCA Downtown is open Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Environmentally friendly takeout containers to make debut

by lauren mccabe Editor

UCA’s Student Government Association (SGA) and Aramark dining services are gearing up to launch a new initiative to cut down the amount of styrofoam waste that goes in and out of the Christian Cafeteria’s door every day. Starting on Sept. 3, the Christian Cafeteria will have available to-go containers that are plastic and reusable — appropriately named GoGreen containers. With the help of UCA’s dining services, the 2018 SGA Housing & Food Service Committee set out to spark the initiative that, in previous

years, has fell through. “Starting a reusable togo box system has been an idea SGA has played with for a few years now,” said junior SGA Vice President of Finance Jennifer Cale. Each time a committee started to work on it, setbacks would occur and the idea continuously fell through the cracks. However, last year’s Housing & Food Service Committee and other senators were interested in pursuing the program and motivated to bring it to fruition. Jim Nabors, Aramark general manager, saw SGA’s passion to create a cleaner and healthier campus and continued to work with them to make the reusable to-go

containers happen. “SGA had really wanted to do something to be more green and more sustainable on campus,” Nabors said. “[SGA] asked if [dining services] could come up with something again, so we decided to try it.” Cale stated that other campuses around Arkansas had already begun implementing similar reusable programs, and UCA’s SGA wanted to be a part of the waste solution. “When SGA approached Aramark about restarting it, they were excited to start the program again with some improvements,” Cale said. According to data gathered by SGA, the cafeteria was handing out around 200

styrofoam to-go containers each day. Nabors estimated that the cafeteria uses around 3,000 to-go containers each week. The city of conway’s website states under their residential recycling tab that while they do accept styrofoam materials, they do not accept styrofoam to-go boxes. “You just have to think that the styrofoam boxes are going to a landfill,” said Nabors. “So this [initiative] is to hopefully cut down on our footprint, and it may help everything.” Nabors also explained how the to-go boxes will work for students. “We will no longer have styrofoam boxes to-go starting [Sept. 3] available in the

cafeteria. [The boxes] will all be Go-Green dining boxes,” Nabors said. Students will pay $5 to receive a to-go container for use. After a student fills that container with food, they can take it back to their dorm with them to empty and bring back. After returning their container, students can exhange it for a new and clean to-go container. However, if the student chooses not to take a new to-go container, they receive a token instead that can be exchanged for a clean container the next time they come to the cafeteria. “When they bring the token back, they can get another box free of charge,” Nabors said. “What they really

have to remember is that the token is just like the plastic box. If you lose [the token], you buy a new one. Keep up with the box or the token. Just make sure that you understand that we clean [the boxes] and santize them before they go back out to students.” Senior Wayne Buckner says he’s excited that UCA is taking on the challenge of providing the to-go boxes. “I think the whole greencontainers thing is a wonderful idea,” Buckner said. “I’m glad [UCA] is making an initiative just to help the environment. I know I’m surely going to try them out.” The Go-Green dining containers will be available for purchase on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

BEARS KICK OFFWELCOMEWEEK

Photos by Lauren McCabe

[Left] UCA Band members practice playing in Estes Stadium on Aug. 20 as they prepare for the upcoming football season. [Right top] Sorority sisters’ sneakers leap across the UCA Amphitheater stage during the Stroll-Off dance display Aug. 19. [Right bottom] UCA football players warm up Aug. 20 by stretching before a lightning strike warning calls them off the field.

Photos by Lauren McCabe

[Left to right] Sophomore Madison Treat [left] and junior Chase Woodruff [right] banter back and forth during the freshmen Battle of the Halls game and competition Aug. 20. A fluffly companion looks on toward the dancing sororities and fraternities as they show off their moves during the Greek Life Stroll-Off on Aug. 19. Bruce the Bear puts his “bear claw up” during a pep rally held in the Farris Center on Aug. 20.

Campus Life

August 28, 2019

Around Campus:

Interest Meeting At 1:40 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. on August 29 in room 206 at the College of Business, there is an interest meeting for Beta Alpha Psi and the accounting club. Leaders will discuss career readiness tips and provide information about Meet the Firms. For more information email betaalphapsi@uca.edu.

Personalized Pancakes From noon until 3:00 p.m. outside of the Student Center, personalized pancakes will be available to students on Thursday, August 29.

Planetarium Shows At 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 30 and Sunday, August 31, a planetarium show titled, ‘From Earth to The Universe’ will be open to the public and UCA students at the CCC building.

Hawaiian Delight At 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 29 until midnight Sigma Tau Gamma is hosting a Hawaiin themed social.

Career in Gear From 1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3 in room 206 at the College of Business, Meet the Firms will host a workshop, which includes tips for professional attired, correspondence, conversation and more.

Volunteer Fair At 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3 at the Student Center Ballroom nonprofit leaders from over 30 nonprofits throughout central Arkansas will showcase their work and give students information on how to get involved. For more information email volunteer@uca.edu or visit uca.edu/volunteer.

photos by Lauren McCabe

Residents of Bernard Hall gather around a raised flag sporting the “Bernard” dormitory name on the UCA Intramural Sports Field Aug. 20. Battle of The Halls is an UCA freshman tradition in which students, their hall’s Residential Assistant (RA), and members of the Student Orientation Staff (SOS) come together to play games in order to encourage students to get to know each other.

Baridon brings game during hall battle by Lauren McCabe

Editor

Freshman students with painted faces, bandanas, and a fighting spirit crowded the intramural sports field to face off in UCA’s annual Battle of the Halls on Aug. 20. Meant to be a treat for firstsemester freshman students, Battle of the Halls consists of all of UCA’s freshmen dormitories

competing head-to-head to see which hall can complete the hands-on track-and-field activites the fastest. Sophomore and member of UCA’s SOS (Student Orientation Staff ) Madison Treat stirred up the energy from the stage, with speakers set up towards the front of the field. “Battle of the Halls is really cool because you spend the day before [the battle] being

aroundSOS-ers,”Treatsaid.“You get to know [everybody]. We get to all come together and be competitive[by]playingabunch of games and just having a great time. [We] kinda build as a team, but also, it’s just so fun.” While a couple of high winds and a few sprinkles of rain made their appearance on the field, it didn’t stop those who were invested in proving that their hall was the best.

“I love [Short-Denney Hall],”freshmanTuckerWilliams said. “I’m not hesistant at all to anybodyhere.Theenvironment is so friendly. Honestly, high school doesn’t even compare.” With games involving eggs, wet sponges, passing fruit into other peoples’ mouths, and sack-racing, the competition alternated between winning halls,withConway,Farris,and Baridon for winning the most

Carnival Night educates students in assault situations By Matt Smothers Campus Life Editor

UCA’s Welcome Week included many events, one of which was Carnival Night on Aug. 20, where over 500 students participated. The event was sponsored by the UCA Police Department, HousingandResidenceLife,and the Division of Student Services. CarnivalNightwasafunway for students to congregate and

also learn about sexual assault awareness. “It’s a great start to advocating for sexual assault [and] a great idea to start at the freshmanlevel,”saidjuniorEvan Hubbard. There were games in the Student Center Ballroom and a video that made students more knowledgeable of what a sexual assault may look like across college campuses. Outside of the Student Center, there was

carnival food, snacks and music for students. One of the games included a nerf football that students had to throw at targets that were labeled with topics such as “dating violence”, “incapacitation”, “stalking”, domestic violence and sexual assault. The prize for hitting the correct bullseye was candy. The educational component of the games allowed students to learn about sexual assault

in a more relaxed way. Other prizesatCarnivalNightincluded televisions and mini fridges. “I think [Carnival Night] is good; it reminds students to be really careful around campus,” senior Debbie Uche said. The staff working the game night wore shirts that read, “Be safe. Be responsible. Be sure. If you did not hear yes then it’s no. STOP Sexual Assault.” The staff’s attire was a constant reminder for students to be safe

GREEK LIFE

Sorority with moves takes first place in competition by Lauren McCabe

Editor

RSO Training

Beginnign on September 3, students can take one free outfit a year to wear to on-campus interviews, career fairs and class presentations. The WOW closet is on the fourth floor of Bernard Hall and is open Monday through Thursday from noon until 2:30 p.m. For questions contact UCA Career Services at teresam@uca.edu or 501-453134.

Get Yourself Tested Campaign From September 3 to September 13 UCA will begin its get yourself tested campaing. For more information or questions contact 501-450-3133.

Movie Matinee: Aladdin At the Student Center Ballroom on Sunday, September 8 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Aladdin will be playing and free pizza, drinks and door prizes will be given out.

throughouttheircollegecareers. Accordingtorainn.org,awebsite with resources on how to report a sexual assault, 23.1 percent of undergraduate women experience some form of sexual assault in college. Carnival Night was just one of the many activities that students had a chance to participate in for Welcome Week. For more information about activities around the UCA campus go to myuca.edu and sign up for CubConnect.

COMMUNIT Y

On Thursday, September 5 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the UCA softball field the inaugural IFC Strikeout Hunger Charity Softball Game will take place. Each year the event consists of UCA IFC fraternity members playing a softball game against the UCA Police Department. The game is being used to help raise funds and canned good for the UCA Bear Essentials Food Pantry. The food pantry is set up to benefit UCA students, faculty or staff that need assistance in their household needs. For further questions contact food pantry coordinator Brian James at bearessentials@uca.edu.

The WOW Closet

See Competition- page 4

AWA R E N E S S

IFC Strikeout Hunger

The fall RSO training will take place on Wednesday, September 4 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Student Center Ballroom.

activities. Although the night was young even at 10 p.m., the battle event ended early due to lightening strikes. However, Baridon Hall was officially crowned the winner in the end. Freshman Taylor Burris, a resident of Baridon Hall, made suretorepresentherexcitement that her hall had won the event.

photo by Ronak Patel

Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority members pose for picture with their 2019 Stroll-Off first place trophy. Local buisnesses and UCA organizations had a chance to connect and socialize with UCA students and patrons at the annual UCA Conway Daze.

Conway Daze promotes interest in local organizations by Rose McGarrity

Staff Writer Students learn about ways to get involved on campus during Conway Daze UCA students learned about Registered Student Organizationsoncampusaswell as Conway businesses during Conway Daze last Wednesday afternoon. Conway Daze takes place each year during welcomeweek. According to UCA’s website, “Conway Daze is an opportunityforlocalbusinesses and organizations to reach new students during their first week on campus and provide them with information about the resourcesandservicestheyoffer.” The event took place near UCA’samphitheatre,andvarious student-run organizations and Conway businesses in

attendance set up tables to hand out food and various branded items, such as cups and t-shirts. Many UCA students attend ConwayDazeinordertodiscover ways they can get involved on

tables during Conway Daze, they had the opportunity to ask each organization and business questions. The heat didn’t stop studentsfromcomingtoConway Daze to get free t-shirts, cups,

Daze as an avenue to recruit and entice new members. Almost all of the organizations had sign up and information sheets at their tables for new members to express their interest during the

campus. According to UCA’s student life page, “UCA offers over 200 studentorganizations,clubs,and recreational activities to help students engage in campus life, and to become active members of the UCA community.” UCAjuniorTheodoraTuduiru beleives Conway Daze is the easiest way for students to learn about the many organzations andestablishmentsaroundUCA and the Conway community. “Even though the temperatures were high, it’s a really nice opportunity to see how you can get involved this semester,” Tuduiru said. As students passed multiple

andfood,thewalkwaysbetween organizations were packed with students during most of the event. “This is probably one of the most successful Conway Dazes’ during the four years I’ve been here,” UCA Senior Colby Little said. Little helped run Alpha Sigma Phi’s information-booth during Conway Daze. At the booth, Little and several of his fraternity brothers talked about the benefits of joining their organization and handed out buttons with their fraternity’s letters on them. Manyorganizations,justlike Alpha Sigma Phi, use Conway

event. “This is my last semester here, so this is my last chance ever to get as many guys into my fraternity as possible. This booth is a great way to give the freshmen some great merchandise and tell them about some good things they can take up during their first year of college,” said Little. Other than food, cups, t-shirts, and the various other items students who attended Conway Daze brought home with them, they also left with the knowledge that there are numerous ways to get involved at UCA’s campus during their college careers.

Sororities and fraternities across the UCA campus came together on August 19 to show off their dance moves, as well as what their chapter is all about, for incoming freshmen and those who are interested in joining their Greek family. Known as the Stroll-Off, the sorority and fraternity organizations present at the UCA Amphitheater got into position for group routines that took half of July and the beginning of August to prepare and perfect. Sophomore and member of Alpha Delta Theta, Kristen Sharp, helped choreograph the chapter’s dance in the compeition. “Our personal thing is that we like to [stick to] themes, so we chose [this year’s dance] as something that was camo and military that we could really stiff and tight with, but also it has some style to it,” said Sharp. Among this year’s judges included the associate director of Diversity and Community at UCA, Dierre Littleton, and UCA president, Houston Davis, who threw a “bear-claws up” toward the crowd when announced among the panel. Also in partnership with Bear’s Den, a student-led sports promotion and school spirit organization, the Stroll-Off gave sororities and fraternities chance to meet and greet with

See Group Work- page 4

ucanews.live

CAMPUS LIFE

August 28, 2019 /4

STUDENTS SAY

“

What are you most excited about for this fall semester?

”

Story and photos by Matt Smothers and Lauren McCabe photos by Lauren McCabe

[Left] Members of the Sigma Kappa Sorority get down in their dance during UCA’s annual Stroll-Off event. The event is describe as an exciting, energetic and music-filled event showcasing the dancing and stepping talents of Greek organizations. [Right] The girls of the Alpha Kappa Alpha pose with their winning trophy on the stage of the UCA Amplitheater. The sorority has won the Stroll-Off event for the past three years with their original and upbeat dances.

Team Work: 4 Continued from page

Greek organizations compete in friendly competition

students interested in joining their organization. “Even if there’s a doubt in your mind, [join a sorority],” Sharp said. “I went Greek because I needed to find some sisters, and I think every girl on this campus needs to find a sisterhood where they’re loved and supported no matter what.” By the end of the night,

sweat ran down backs and performers chugged countless bottle of water. However, only one winner of the Stroll-Off could emerge: and that winner was Alpha Kappa Alpha. A champion of the traditional dance competition for three years now, Alpha Kappa Alpha claims that they always try to challenge themselves and bring their

routine up a level from the previous year. “[Through our dances], we just wanted to show everybody what Alpha Kappa Alpha is all about,” said senior and Alpha Kappa Alpha member Syndey McDonald. “It just feels good to know that we’re doing better [at dancing] every year and that we’re not only beating ourselves, but just knowing

that we have the [capability] to get better every year.” The Theta Mu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha later posted their winnings on Facebook and Twitter. What a wonderful way to set the tone for the semester,” the social media post read. “Keep up the good work ladies!”

Junior Bryce Hilton

Freshman Ashlyn Maynard

“I would probably have to say rush week. I’m in one of the honorary fraternities, and it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“I’m most excited about all the new experiences and meeting new people. It sounds so cliche, but joining clubs and things like that”

Freshman Cameron Murry

Freshman Kaitlyn Robine

“I think this semester I’m most excited to see how well I can do at UCA. I guess I’m hoping to see if I can maintain all the goals that I set for myself in high school and to see what I can measure up to be.”

“I think I’m more excited just to meet new people, because where I grew up it’s a small town, you grow up with the same people. Also, I want to see how much I change over a semester and if I change my major.”

Junior Jake Britton

Sophomore Noah Burris

“My fraternity is doing a bunch of recruitment stuff, it’s kind of new things we haven’t been doing before, so it’s kind of the main thing. I’m excited for is seeing if we can get some new guys to build our brotherhood up”

“I’m just excited about some upcoming changes at UCA, my classes, and that the Japanese club has gotten so big. We’re supposed to have a huge fall festival here. Everythings supposed to be free and we’re going to have good food.”

photos by Lauren McCabe

[Top} UCA graduate student Calliey Partain lets out a laugh as the announcers make a witty comment during the Battle of The Halls. [Left] Short-Denney Hall residents group up for a break in-between games. [Right] Conway Hall team members gather around balloon representing their dorm’s colors while waiting for the next game to start. Battle of The Halls is an UCA freshman tradition in which students, their hall’s Residential Assistant (RA), and members of the Student Orientation Staff (SOS) come together to play games in order to encourage students to get to know each other.

Competition: 4 Continued from

Freshmen go head-to-head for ultimate bragging rights

page 3

Hall was officially crowned the winner in the end. Freshman Taylor Burris, a resident of Baridon Hall, made sure to represent her excitement that her hall had won the event. “I love

it here,” Burris said. “I mean, we did really good tonight. It was a lot of fun [and] I’m excited to be just a part of a bigger community.” As the SOS team quickly packed up the game material

and the free Gatorade for students, Treat advises those who are looking to become a part of the SOS staff and who want to continue to partipate in welcome-week

events such as Battle of the Halls in the future to step out of their comfort zones. “Everybody’s in the same place you are, and it’s going to be a great year,” said Treat.

PEOPLE OF UCA: Briana Vongvilay by Lauren McCabe Editor

photo by Lauren McCabe

Junior Briana Vongvilay makes sure to stay involved on campus through participating in different student organizations. Vongvilay is a mjaor in psychology and hopes to help those with eating disorders.

In a world where instances of hate, judgement, and mental health issues are seen within society e v e r y d a y, one UCA student works to spread kindness, acceptance, and a smile wherever she goes. Junior Briana Vongvilay, originally from Fort Smith, AR, has been involved in multiple student organizations and interactions since her freshman year including UCA’s Young Democrats, UCA Student Ambassadors, Social Justice League, and most recently, Feminist Union, where she serves as the president. “I chose [to come to UCA] because - I’ve always said this and will still say it even after I graduate - the people here are so opening,” Vongvilay said. “Not even just the campus, but the Conway community is what really drew me in.” Even before coming to UCA, Vongvilay knew that she had a passion for helping and

supporting others through activism and volunteering. “I feel like my life is for others, if that makes any sense,” Vongvilay said. “I live so I love.” Vongvilay credits the 2016 presidential election as one of the factors contributing to her current motivation to make a difference. “I came from my campus tour at UCA the day after the 2016 elections, so the morning after the results came out, I left Fort Smith at 6 a.m., got [to Conway] at 8 a.m., and I just remember that feeling of defeat,” Vongvilay said. “I remember feeling like my identity and who I am as a person didn’t matter. So when I came back to Fort Smith [that day], I just noticed the shift in people’s attitudes and the shift in the culture.” Choosing to major in psychology and double minor in addiction studies and treatment and public relations, she jumped directly into being the type of change she wanted to see.

“I credit basically all that I know about how to run an organization and the structure of an executive team to Young Democrats,” Vongvilay said. “I made some lifelong friends in [Young Democrats], and then at the end of my freshman year, I took over the Feminist Union, and have been the president since then.” While talking about what Feminist Union has accomplished, Vongvilay beamed with pride as she listed off events and what the organization is truly about. “[Feminist Union] does a lot of activism work to build a tight-knit community on and beyond campus just to show students that the Feminist Union is here for them. We take people as they are, and all are always welcome.” In her future, Vongvilay plans to use her passions and academic knowledge to help others who are struggling with eating disorders. “Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to go into

psychology,” Vongvilay said. “When I was in junior high and high school, that’s when I really decided that I wanted to go into behavioral addictions. After graduation, I plan on going into researching eating disorders and eating addictions at UAMS or I might go to grad school in California. We’ll see what happens. I know it’s something I’m meant to do.” For new students, or even those who are still looking to be a difference on campus, Vonvilay harps on the idea to not be afraid to be yourself. “People throw rocks at things that shine. I faced so much ridicule in high school, and you know, even now in college, people from my hometown will say things about me. [But] I’m standing up for what I believe in,” Vongvilay said. “If you are passionate about something, and you want to stand up and voice your opinion, you should stand firm in your power.”

Sports

August 28, 2019

UpcomingGames Football

6:30 p.m., Aug. 29 at Western Kentucky Volleyball 10 a.m., Aug. 30 at Georgetown Women’s Soccer 5 p.m., Aug. 30 vs Missouri State photo by Ronak Patel

Men’s Soccer 8 p.m., Aug. 30 vs. Wright State

Editor’s Take

photo courtesy of USAToday.com

After a career plagued with injury, limiting him to just 22 games from 2015-17, Andrew Luck decided to walk away from the game of football.

A decision turns fan love into hate

Junior middle blocker Amari Mitchell leaps for the block against redshirt sophomore Ravin Rhodes during the anual purple and gray scrimmiage. The Bears were ranked second in this year’s preseason and will also host this season’s Southland Conference Tournament.

Volleyball host alumni match; anticipation peaks in Prince Center by Marcus McClain Sports Editor

Competitive fire filled the Prince Center Aug. 23 and 24 as the UCA volleyball team prepared for the upcoming season with the annual purple and gray scrimmage followed by the alumni match. The anticipation of seeing the team in action was at its peak as fans filled the Prince Center from wall to wall. UCA made sure to give the audience what they wanted, showcasing their talent at the highest degree. The team treated both scrimmages as a real game, staying sharp throughout and giving maximum effort. Their talent was obvious,

but one of the main indicators of the team’s focus was their communication on the court. “This team communicates well out there,” associate head coach John Newberry said. “It comes more naturally to the upperclassmen at this point, but we still prioritize it in practice, especially with the freshmen.” This season’s group of freshmen are tasked with filling the void left by last year’s senior class that featured two Southland Conference firstteam players, Haley Tippet and Samantha Anderson, along with second-team player, Savannah Allen. However, the newcomers have the full support of upperclassmen like senior

by Marcus McClain Sports Editor

Andrew Luck’s retirement took the football world by storm Aug.24. ESPN reported the news during the team’s preseaon game against the Chicago Bears with Luck on the sideline and the home fans support for Luck immediately turned cold. Boo’s rang out across the stadium for a quarterback who has done nothing but give his all to the franchise. From keeping the Colts relevant after the Peyton Manning era, to playing through injuries he shouldn’t have, Luck has proven to be a player all fans should appreciate. It’s well known Luck’s injury history has held him back throughout his NFL career, but he never used that as an excuse. But nevertheless, the football world, commentators and analyst included, chose to show their most hideous colors once again. Doug Gottlieb of Fox Sports Radio specifically, added insult to injury, joking about Luck’s situation and disrespecting the work ethic Luck has shown since the day he was drafted. Too often, football players are viewd as something other than human when making a decision for themselves. To boo a guy who has literally put his body and future livelihood on the line is one of the most disappointing moments in recent memory. But what about when these situations occur to players of a lesser stature? What happens when it’s just a striving high school or college athlete whose support is flipped into nearly complete distain for listening to their body and making a decision for themselves? It’s understood that the competive edge of players and fans is what makes sports so passionate and life changing, but it must also be understood that all of our bodies have limits despite our will to continue. So to be considered a true fan, remember to support the person as well as the player before acting and speaking out of blind passion.

defensive specialist Reyna Jefferies. “We have a dynamic group of freshmen,” Jefferies said. “They just do their jobs and are filling in right were last year’s seniors left off. They have a lot of talent and show that they can dominate when we need them.” This incoming class includes outside hitter Alexis Stumbough, defensive specialists Hannah Crawford and Jada Oldham, middle blocker Kaliee Moon, and setter Anna Williams. Of this impressive class, Newberry said Oldham stood apart for a different reason. “Jada was originally a setter but she’s still fitting in great and has shown the biggest

growth so far,” Newberry said. “The only thing is they haven’t had game experience yet. They’re doing everything we’ve asked of them and progressing in practice, they just need in-game experience. The Bears are coming off of a 14-2 record in conference play last season and reached the championship game of the Southland Conference tournament. To return to the championship game and bring the first place trophy back to Bear Country, Newberry believes UCA must find comfort in the sporadic moments of the game. “Consistency in the random parts of the game separates teams,” Newberry

said. “If we can take advantage in times were things get out of control, it’ll help us in the long run.” Jefferies pointed out a different key component that could lead the Bears to prosperity. “I think keeping our chemistry good will play a big role. Obviously it’s good now, but if we can keep it there throughout the season and when things get tough then we should be able to get over the hump,” Jefferies said. The Bears were picked to finish second in the conference preseason poll behind only Stephen F. Austin State University.

See Volleyball- page 8

TEST RUN

Men’s soccer works out kinks in exhibition game, joins new league by Lauren McLemore Associate Editor

The UCA men’s soccer team won 6-1 against the University of Tulsa on Aug. 23 at their second and last exhibition game before the start of the season. The game, played at Union 8th Grade Center Field, was a confidence boost for the Bears after losing their first exhibition game. On Aug. 18, the Bears lost to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, with a final score of 2-0. “The Belmont game was great for us because it exposed

some issues we were having and allowed us to focus on that in the week leading up to Tulsa and I think we did a nice job making adjustments based on those issues and put together a good performance,” said head coach Ross Duncan. Bears junior midfielder Soren Jensen said UCA had the first goal of the Tulsa game, scored by junior Kasper Anderson. “Our strikers are hungry for this season and showed that [on Friday],” Jensen said. “Kasper Andersen with a goal, senior Nicklas Brodacki with 3 goals and junior Kyosuke

Kabota with 2 goals in the game, shows we have a lot of different attacking players ready for this upcoming season.” Duncan also praised the attacking players and is hopeful for what they will bring to the table in the season opening game against Wright State at Bill Stephens Track/ Soccer Complex on Sept. 1. “We’ve got some great attacking players so we’ve got to get them some chances to score,” Duncan said. The exhibition games won’t be the only first for the Bears of the season. UCA faces

a new challenge, playing many games in their new conference, the Sun Belt. In an interview for an article about Brodacki’s preseason all-conference recognition, Duncan said that transition away from Missouri Valley Conference shouldn’t be too difficult. “Competitively, it’s going to be very similar. On any given year the Sun Belt could be stronger or the Valley could be stronger, so for us I don’t think it’s going to be a big jump up or a big jump down,” said Duncan in the article. “The tough part is we only have five [conference]

games, so every single game is going to be absolutely vital.” While the transition may be effortless, the team still has plenty of work to do. “It was a nice scoreline but it wasn’t a perfect performance,” Duncan said. “We’re seeking perfection and I think that it’s a lot to ask, but if we don’t ask for that, then we won’t get it.” The team’s season will open at home on Friday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. where they will face Wright State. The Bears will play at home again on Sunday, Sept. 1 against Campbell University.

P U R P L E A N D G R AY

photo by Lauren McCabe

The UCA dance team pumps up the crowd Aug. 21 in the Farris Center after lightning forced them inside. UCA students will be able to continue showing their support for the Bears on Sept. 7 as the UCA football team travels to Austin Peay University.

Students display Bear Nation Pride with pep rally in Farris Center by Lauren McCabe Editor

Lightning and dark clouds rolled in Aug. 21 as the UCA football team prepared to show freshman what to expect of them in the upcoming football season. Although a lightning strike warning shuffled those waiting at Estes Stadium into the Farris Center, it didn’t stop the energy and excitement brought on by the UCA band, dance team, cheerleaders and mascots.

In a promotional video released by @uca_football on Twitter, head coach Nathan Brown can be heard saying “three times last year -- not once, not twice, [but] three times, we were in some type of weather delay. This is like real football situations that happen today.” Hosted by Bears Den, the pep rally continued inside the Farris Center as students waved and cheered in the bleachers. Breon Scott, the treasurer

for Bears Den, said that the organization is the biggest student organization on campus. “We go as a spirit team to watch sport divisions of UCA,” Scott said. “We go to every tailgate before [the] football games and we try to take the enthusiasm to the games by carrying on the hype and our support.” For this pep rally, the Bears Den wasn’t the only group to get students on their feet. The dances brought to the

Farris Center court floors were previews and routines that UCA dance team head coach, Lauren Goodman, hopes will help bring the dance team on the road to nationals at the Universal Dance Association. “This year, we’re trying really hard,” Goodman said. “This is one of our transfer years, so we’re trying really hard to compete up to the top with the champions.” Goodman also expressed the determination the new freshmen bring to the stage.

“We have a lot of new, incoming freshmen and a lot of rookies all together,” Goodman said. “They make up a lot of our team and we’re pretty excited about it because we think this is going to be a new year, a new team. Especially with me taking over this year, we’re working a lot on building this team up and seeing what we can do.”

See Bear Pride page 8

Opinion

ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

August 28, 2019

The Voice Go- green inititive should spark campus-wide eco-friendliness

comic courtesy of Sarah Andersen of ‘Sarah’s Scribbles’

The Echo Staff Lauren McCabe Editor

Lauren McLemore Associate Editor

Sarah Coleman News Editor

Matt Smothers Campus Life Editor

Aysha Dixon Opinion Editor

Macy Davis

Entertainment Editor

Marcus McClain Sports Editor

Dy’Kajeon Brown Online/ Social Media Editor

Ronak Patel

Opinions lead to personal, societal growth Even though it can be intimidating at man was truly guilty. This is just one example times, it’s important to share your opinions. of why opinion sharing is beneficial. As I’ve grown older, I’ve discovered the Besides gaining a better understanding value in sharing my opinion. Many people fear of why you believe what you believe, sharing that their opinions don’t matter, but opinions opinions can also help people grow firmer in can make all the difference. their beliefs. When I share my opinion, I often Opinion sharing can lead to personal make an argument as to why I believe growth. No one views the world in the my opinion is correct. exact same way, so hearing others’ Giving arguments to back opinions allows you to learn more up my beliefs allows me to about the world. Therefore, when I locate the holes in my thought learn about an opposing opinion, process and correct myself if I’m challenged to rethink why my opinion is has faults. I believe what I believe, which Opinion sharing can also causes me to become more open help societies grow. When minded. people share their research This aspect of opinion about ways they think sharing is shown through society could improve the movie “12 Angry or about a technology Men”, which depicts 12 they’ve invented, they are jurors debating whether or not a young man paving the way for a more should be given a guilty advanced society. verdict. Even though sharing Upon initial review, 11 opinions can be beneficial, of the 12 jurors believed by Rose McGarrity not having an opinion isn’t the young man was guilty. Staff Writer always a bad thing. Topics Luckily, one of the jurors can often have gray area, was uncertain that the and it’s okay to understand young man was guilty, and both sides of an issue without taking a side. he firmly believed in his opinion enough to Additionally, I think there are times when it’s challenge the other 11 jurors. Throughout most of the movie, the juror not necessary to share opinions, especially if with the opposing opinion argued his belief, your opinions could hurt or insult someone and by the end of the movie, he managed to else. Sharing opinions can be nerve-wracking, sway the other jurors to say the defendant was but we shouldn’t be scared to share our not guilty. If the juror with the opposing belief hadn’t own opinions. Personal growth, a better shared his opinion, the jury might have given understanding of your beliefs, and societal a guilty verdict without knowing if the young growth can result from opinion sharing.

Photo Editor

Amazon rainforest disaster needs more media coverage

Shade McPeake

The Amazon rainforest has been of the rainforest fire on Aug. 21 with the experiencing a record number of fires this caption, past year. This natural disaster is not only “Terrifying to think that the Amazon is a threat to Brazil, but a threat to the world. the largest rainforest on the planet, creating The Amazon has been burning at increasing 20% of the earth’s oxygen, basically the lungs rates with little attention from the press, but of the world, has been on fire and burning people need to start talking about it now. for the last 16 days running, with literally NO The Amazon rainforest accounts for media coverage whatsoever! Why?” 20 percent of oxygen on our planet, There isn’t much that the general according to French President public can do to prevent the side Emmanuel Macron. This rainforest effects of climate change. However, is also the largest in the world, there are a few organizations that housing millions of species of are actively working to help protect plants, animals and fungi. the amazon rainforest. The National Institute for Space The Amazon Conservation Research found that there have Association requests donations been over 72,000 fires in to support the Amazon the Amazonian rainforest Conservation Team as since January. they fight climate change A concerning issue and take steps toward surrounding this protecting the Amazon. disaster is that no one If you’re interested in is talking about it. The buying a plot of land in Amazon fires have only the rainforest, you can recently been talked buy one through the by Macy Davis about in newspapers Rainforest Trust. Through Entertainment Editor in the United States. this trust, they have saved It is receiving so little around 23 million acres coverage that any time I of land. bring up the event to family or friends, they It’s also important to be educated and have no idea what I’m talking about. spread awareness of global issues. Share On August 18, the abundance of smoke articles regarding the increased number of had grown so much that it traveled 17,000 fires in the rainforest and the threat it raises. miles and completely covered the city of People share memes that their friends São Paulo, Brazil. would think were funny on social media. A few articles were published by various People share racial, political, and social media outlets such as The Guardian and issues. However, people hardly share Scientific American in 2017 and 2018. The environmental issues such as climate change articles covering the increase in fires started and global warming. popping up the past two weeks by CNN, Talking about these issues on social USA Today, and the New York Times. media can be difficult since there is little Since the media has started covering the coverage on the environment, but there is Amazon fires in the past few weeks, some material out there. Reliable websites you can celebrities have been taking to social media use to educate yourself on environmental to spark awareness. issues are National Geographic, Huffpost Leonardo DiCaprio posted a photo Green, Grist, and The Guardian.

Cartoonist

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UCA recently adopted an eco-friendly initiative that allows students to purchase reusable to-go containers at Christian Cafeteria. Students will be able to purchase a $5 reusable container, which can be exchanged for a clean container when they return a dirty one. Not only will the go-green dining container initiative get rid of styrofoam containers, but hopefully it will spark a campus-wide shift toward ecofriendliness. Although styrofoam boxes have been the go-to for to-go containers, styrofoam takes nearly 500 years to decompose in landfills. With the new go-green containers, not only will there be a decrease in undegradable products, but the university will decrease its carbon footprint on a small scale. Like the styrofoam containers, plastic straws in the Student Center should be a thing of the past. With over 14 places to dine on campus, including Donaghey Hall, there is no question that plastic straws are constantly being discarded. A single-use plastic straw can take nearly 200 years to decompose, but will most likely end up in the stomachs of 71 percent of seabirds and 30 percent of marine turtles according to Rubicon Global’s website. Paper straws average only two cents per straw when bought in bulk, while straws made of plastic average five cents per straw. Starbucks previously announced that there will no longer be plastic straws in their stores by 2020, but in the meantime, Torreyson Library’s Starbucks could offer a small discount for students that bring their own metal, or any reusable material, straws. Dorms should also offer incentives for students that recycle the collections of water bottles, Coca-Cola cans, and Walmart sacks in their dorm rooms. Maybe leniency on curfew, or a dorm pizza party could be the result of students recycling their trash. While some dorms provide students with the means to recycle easily, most dorms do not have recycling bins. Providing these bins would cut down on the litter that quickly fills dumpsters outside of residence halls. There are a few restrooms, like in the HPER, that offer eco-friendly flushing which reduces water waste by using a certain amount of water depending on the waste that needs to be flushed. High traffic areas on campus could greatly reduce water waste if eco-friendly toilets were installed there as well. The Student Center, Torreyson Library, and the BrewerHegeman Conference Center are only a few of the buildings on campus that would be ideal locations for a decrease in water waste due to their consistently large number of visitors. Many UCA graduates would attest to the fact that the university offers impressive merchandise. Free t-shirts, backpacks, pens, and buttons are constantly passed out to students, but what if go-green items were offered instead? Reusable water bottles, LED light bulbs, and spiral notebooks or composition books made from recycled material are just a few of the supplies that students could receive. The to-go containers will not be the first eco-conscious decision that UCA has made recently. Zagster bike share, which arrived on campus in April of 2018, is an eco-friendly alternative to automobiles that the university has provided for students. Not only do the bikes reduce carbon dioxide emissions by cutting back on the use of gasoline, but the bikes have provided students with an environmentally-friendly alternative to common exercise routines. UCA could provide students that use Uber and Lyft carpooling services with a discount code as a ‘thank you’ for reducing carbon dioxide emissions that harm the atmosphere. By using the carpool feature on both Uber and Lyft, riders decrease the number of cars on the road, which ultimately leads to a decrease in fuel discharge.

With the new go-green containers, not only will there be a decrease in undegradable products, but the university will decrease its carbon footprint on a small scale.

Have an opinion? Everyone does. Write a letter to the editor at ucaechoeditor@gmail.com Letters to the editor don’t just have to be about Echo content. If you’ve noticed something on campus that’s positive or negative, we want to hear about it. The Echo is printed weekly by Leader Publishing. Decisions about content are made by the student editors. The views published are not necessarily those of the University of Central Arkansas. All material is subject to respective copyrights.

Entertainment

August 28, 2019

New This Week

‘Lover’ shows Swift getting personal with her lyrics

Movies

by Lauren McLemore

August 30 — Don’t Let Go (R), directed by Jacob Aaron Estes, starring David Oyelowo, Storm Reid, Mykelti Williamson, Alfred Molina

On Friday, Aug. 26, Taylor Swift released her much-anticipated seventh studio album, “Lover.” Sneak peeks of the album began popping up in April, with the first song released from the album, “Me!”, featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, hitting the internet on April 26. As other songs were released early, fans began to get a feel for the album’s theme : love. Swifts’ songs cover ideas about high school superlatives, gaining self confidence and staying positive as a loved one struggles through an illness. Swift uses the album to explore all aspects of love, escaping the heartbreak zone she’s known for putting music to and writing about other types of relationships that experience the same type of deep love that romantic partners do. Her album opens with an anthem to loving herself with “I Forgot That You Existed,” which details “one magical night” that she finally stopped obsessing over a past lover and experienced the peace and quiet of moving on. On the day of the release of “Lover”, Swift posted on Instagram, “This album is

Associate Editor

August 29 — Spider-Man: Far From Home (PG-13), directed by Jon Watts, starring Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal August 30 — Before You Know It (NR), Hannah Pearl Utt, Alec Baldwin, Mandy Patinkin, Judith Light

Music August 30 — High Tide — Andrew Munsey August 30 — Trust Issues EP— Astrid S August 30 — At the Party With My Brown Friends — Black Belt Eagle Scout August 30 — Comforter — Body Wash August 30 — How Do We Stay Here — Close Talker August 30 — Let Love — Common August 30 — Twelve Nudes — Ezra Furman August 30 — Field Whispers — Fire-Toolz August 30 — Firmamentum —

August 30 — Chicanery — Hesitation Wounds August 30 — Pharmakon — Humbird August 30 — Complex — Montaigne

Netflix August 30 — The A List, starring Lisa Ambalavanar, Ellie Duckles, Savannah Baker August 30 — Carole & Tuesday, directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, starring Miyuri Shimbukoro, Kana Ichinose, Akio Otsuka

August 30 — The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, directed by Louis Leterrier, starring Taaron Egerton, Mark Hamill, Anya TaylorJoy

August 30 — Styling Hollywood, created by Carlos King, starring Jason Bolden, Adair Curtis

Top five ways to get involved on campus List compiled by Macy Davis Entertanment Editor

very much a celebration of love, in all its complexity, coziness, and chaos. It’s the first album of mine that I’ve ever owned, and I couldn’t be more proud. I’m so excited that Lover is out NOW.” At the end of this past summer, Swift was made aware that Scooter Braun’s company Ithaca Holdings had acquired Big Machine Label Group, and her entire music catalog dating from 2006 until she left the group and joined Universal Music Group in 2018, according to People.com. Swift had not only been on record accusing Scooter Braun of bullying her, but had also been on record trying to gain ownership of those master recordings herself. However, in the expected style of the “Shake It Off” singer, she’s not giving up. She told Tracy Smith in an interview for CBS Saturday Morning that she planned to re-record her old songs. Swift is also known for making other bold comments in interviews. Most notably, she’s been known to express her concerns about people talking about her predictable break-up songs and seemingly long list of past relationships, while never seeming to ask the popular male singers the same types of questions. In her song “The Man”

photo courtesy of www.genius.com

The cover of Taylor Swift’s album “Lover” is fun-loving, featuring Swift floating in a sky of pink and yellow clouds. “Lover” was released August 26, and can be downloaded on all music streaming services.

Swift talks, for the first time on an album, about her frustration with sexist comments made toward her for being mad, being bad and having more past relationships that society would be comfortable with her having. While almost every song on the album is upbeat and dance-worthy, “Soon You’ll Get Better” is a slow ballad

PREMIERE

Campus Life Editor

In “The Righteous Gemstones,” which premiered Oct. 18, actor Danny McBride returned for his third HBO series as Jesse Gemstone. In the new comedy series, Gemstone is part of an evangelical family that has turned preaching into a multimillion-dollar business. McBride portrays an abrasive, ill-tempered man from the South like in “Eastbound & Down” and “Vice Principals.” Similarly, like McBride’s previous TV characters, such as Kenny Powers from “Eastbound & Down” and Neal Gamby in “Vice Principals,” Jesse is a jerk to everyone for no reason. Everything was going fine for Jesse and the rest of the Gemstones after his return from a baptism marathon in China with his brother Kelvin (Adam DeVine) and his father Eli (John Goodman), until Jesse recieved text messages from an unknown number. A particular message contained a video of Jesse and several members of the church where his father preaches. The clip showed them doing lines of cocaine and talking to prostitutes. However, the bigger problem was that whoever had the video demanded Jessie hand over one million dollars within the week. Like “Vice Principals,” “The Righteous Gemstones” is as funny as it is controversial. “Vice Principals” faced many criticisms because the premise of the first season was two white men scheming to get a black woman fired from her job. Taking shots at megachurches also has 1. RSO (Registered Student Organization) From the UCA Cornhole Club to the American Chemical Society, there is an organization for everyone on UCA’s campus. Moving onto campus and trying to build friendships can be hard. Getting involved in an RSO can almost guarantee friendship through shared interests . You might even find a new hobby.Even if there isn’t an RSO that sounds interesting, you can create your own RSO. It’s a simple process that requires six or more students to join and a faculty or staff RSO advisor to endorse the organization. After the requirements are met and the organization gets approved by the student life faculty, you will have created your very own RSO!

the potential to yield waves of criticism before the show finishes its first season. However, “The Righteous Gemstones” does not seem like a show that will ridicule people’s beliefs. In fact, all the people who go to church for their beliefs in the first episode are extras. Other than a few hymns, the audience doesn’t hear what Eli and the other Gemstones preach to their congregation. The jokes and satires are all pointed at the Gemstones and megachurch families like them. John Goodman seems like he will be a perfect fit for this series. His character is stern, and his main goal is to build his evangelical empire while keeping his three children in line. It should provide plenty of funny interactions and keep the show from getting too ridiculous as the season progresses. The show also features a subplot that focuses on Eli Gemstone and the fight over territory with local pastors. The short scene in the first episode looks like a scene from “The Wire,” where drug dealers are discussing which territory they can sell drugs at. McBride’s “Vice Principals” co-star, Walton Goggins, will be rejoining him in episode two of the series as well. “The Righteous Gemstones” will be an intriguing comedy with an interesting storyline, and if it’s like McBride’s other works, it will only have one purpose, to make the audience laugh with no hidden agenda. “The Righteous Gemstones” is rated TV-MA and is available to watch on HBO Now and HBO Go.

2. Campus Ministries If you were involved in a youth group before college, a campus ministry may be something for you to look into. There are around 25 ministries on campus including Bears for Christ, Chi Alpha, Catholic Campus Ministry and Baptist Collegiate Ministry. Most of the campus ministries are also RSOs. However, there are some ministries on campus that aren’t registered as student organizations and may not show up in the RSO search on UCA’s website. There are a few perks of joining a campus ministry. On certain days of the month, some campus ministries host free food nights for UCA students. If there is a church near campus you enjoy attending, ask if they have a campus ministry.

Swifties are praising Taylor for her consistency in producing honest but exciting music even while dealing with critics and bullies. Even her album art, which showcases pastel

colors, sunrises, pink glitter, butterflies and hearts, portrays the singer in a light that many are not surprised at all to see her in, and perhaps have expected to see her in for a long time. She’s vibrant, warm and comfortable in her own skin. “Lover” is available now on all popular video streaming platforms.

NEW ALBUM

McBride returns for new hit HBO comedy by Matt Smothers

that features the Dixie Chicks — the only other song on the album with a featured artist besides Brendon Urie in “ME!”

photo courtesy of certifiedpop.com

Young Thug’s album cover displays his face made of miniature Young Thugs standing in a patch of grass. The album is now available on all music streaming services.

Young Thug exceeds fan expectations with Billboard top chart album ‘So Much Fun’ by Aysha Dixon Opinion Editor

Young Thug’s latest project “So Much Fun” has lived up to fans expectations after its release on Aug. 16. The album is rumored to be executively produced by J. Cole and features impressive feature artists such as Travis Scott, Gunna, Lil Uzi Vert, Future and Machine Gun Kelly. The album’s cover art features a portrait of Young Thug’s face made out of hundreds of smaller Young Thugs that are sitting, standing and lying on the grass, while the album’s title is mowed into the grass by a larger Young Thug. The primary color on the cover art is green, which is also the primary color on Thug’s previous albums “Slime Language,” “Super Slimey” and “I’m Up.” The first song on the album “Just How It Is” includes raunchy and unapologetically confident lyrics that reminded me of why I became a Young Thug fan. The upbeat tempo foreshadows the tone of the 3. Greek Life When people think of college, many times they think of the image movies depict, where college students in fraternities and sororities do drugs, fail classes and haze the freshmen. This perception of Greek life is far from the truth. Sororities and fraternities are about making connections while furthering their education. No one can join without a GPA of 2.5 or higher. If a member’s grade drops below a 2.5, that individual is kicked out of the organization. Greek organizations are also a safe place. The parties held by these organizations must be registered, and they are supervised by police officers. People who join Greek life build life long friendships.

rest of the album — fun and entertaining. Following a couple of anti-climatic songs, “Sup Mate” ft. Future and “Ecstacy” ft. Machine Gun Kelly, is my favorite song on the album — “Hot” ft. Gunna. Both Young Thug and Gunna flow effortlessly over a hornheavy beat that features flutes and other woodwind instruments. Young Thug’s adlibs do not overpower his lyrics, but rather add to the overall effect of the feel-good song. Young Thug’s influence on Gunna’s rap style is obvious as the two YSL Records rappers take turns spitting bars in the three minute song. “Bad Bad Bad” which features another YSL Records rapper, Lil Baby, is one of the most downloaded songs from the album according to Apple Music. Lil Baby changed his delivery by making his words fast and giving his voice a computerized tone. The two rappers brag on their materialistic accomplishments with lyrics like, “I just took the door off the ‘Ghini’”— referring to a Lamborghini — and 4. Volunteering Volunteering is a good way to make a positive impact on the local community. A common misconception is that volunteer opportunities are hard to come by. The opportunities are everywhere! If you go to uca. campuslabs.com, click the events tab and you’ll find a list of events to volunteer for. If you have a busy schedule, most opportunities only require a one-day commitment. For a long term commitment, Bear Boots on the Ground is a group that takes trips over scheduled breaks to help with recovery following natural disasters. There are also ways to get involved with volunteering off campus. The Bethlehem House is a community center that always needs volunteers.

“Different color Diors on my feet, I couldn’t decide which.” “Circle of Bosses” features Migos member Quavo, who raps on the song first but gets outshined by Young Thug’s clever lyrics about his connections in the industry and his experiences as a rapper. This song was produced by Wesley Glass, professionally known as Wheezy. Glass has produced songs for Young Thug before, like “Pull up on a Kid,” “Floyd Mayweather,” “Family Don’t Matter” and “Chanel (Go Get It).” The album concludes with “‘The London” — the album’s only single. This track made its way to number six on the R&B/Hip Hop Billboard over the summer. The song features J. Cole and Travis Scott, and is named after The London Hotel in West Hollywood. Since the radio overplayed this track, I was happy that Young Thug decided to make it the last song on the album. “So Much Fun” is Young Thug’s seventh studio album and is currently available on most popular music streaming platforms. 5. SGA and student media If you are interested in serving the needs of the campus and representing the students at UCA, consider getting involved with the Student Government Association (SGA). SGA is composed of four executive board officers and around 40 student senators. The primary purpose of SGA is to be a liaison between the UCA administration and the students. Another way for your voice to be heard around campus is by joining a student media organization such as the Vortex, UCA’s magazine, the Scroll, UCA’s yearbook, the Echo, UCA’s Newspaper or News6, UCA’s daily live newscast.

ucanews.live

SPORTS

8/ August 28, 2019

UCA STATS CORNER SPORT

OPPONENT

RESULT

RECORD

Men’s Soccer

University of Tulsa

6-1 (W)

(0-0)

Women’s Soccer

Arizona State University

7-1 (L)

(0-1)

Volleyball

UCA Alumni

2-1(W)

(0-0)

SIGHTSEEING

Bears take eye-opening trip to France by Ronak Patel Photo Editor

photo by Lauren McLemore

Senior Joseph “J.W.” Jones hopes to become a nurtionist or personal trainer after college. Jones, orginally from Lousiana, played football in high school before joining the UCA Bears football team.

Defensive end plans to give back by Lauren McLemore Associate Editor

Seen in multiple UCA football promotional images wearing a mask vaguely similar to that of Jason from “Friday the 13th” while in full uniform, senior Joseph “J.W.” Jones is far from scary. While he may bring the adrenaline when running the field, his heart for his hometown sets him apart off the field. Originally from Rayville, Lousiana, the defensive end is a redshirt junior for the Bears. His high school there is where he got his start. With a brother who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight years, Jones said football “runs in the family.” However, when it comes to his plans of playing in the NFL — particularly for his dream team, the Baltimore Ravens — Jones said he’ll take the opportunity if it’s there. “If not, I’m going to pursue my career,” Jones said. He is currently studying

exercise science and plans to graduate in the spring of 2020. After graduation and his last year playing for the Bears, Jones plans to go somewhere he can network and make connections that will help him when he eventually moves back home to Lousiana. “I want to give back to my community,” Jones said. “My main focus is on the youth.” With the goal of becoming a personal trainer or nutrionist, Jones wants to bring back resources to the kids of his hometown that he believes would have helped him during his time there, playing high school football. One of those things is a nutrition center. “A lot of my hometown kids, they didn’t have [nutritious options],” Jones said. “You can eat anything and then perform at a bad level. If you’re healthy that leads to less injuries.” However, pushing through the lack of resources during his time as an adolescent athlete and remaining committed to the sport isn’t an easy task.

Learning to work with whatever tools were available to him has also contributed to his mental strength. “Being a student athlete is tough,” Jones said. “A lot of student athletes you walk by, they’re always mentally strong.” He said while he believes that all college students have to be mentally strong, it’s a “different energy” when you meet a student athlete. It’s these lessons that help him stay motivated to succeed. “In life, there’s going to be tough times — and there are a lot of tough times in football — but you’re taught to just push through,” Jones said. Things aren’t all serious with him, though. While sometimes, he does enjoy the alone time to listen to music and prepare before a game, often times, it’s quite the opposite. “Most of the time, I get other people hyped,” Jones said. “That’s most of the time — me going around and having fun with my teammates, just getting everyone excited.”

This summer the UCA women’s soccer team took an exciting trip to Paris, and while there, the Bears played in two exhibtion games. Senior midfeilder Connie Awuku-Darkoh enjoyed seeing the city of Paris, “We got to see parts of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Normandy area, the coast of France. We got to see all the sites where things from World War II happened,” AwukuDarkoh said. “We saw the American National Cemetery. That was pretty eye opening and cool to see.” Being a native of Canada, Awuku-Darkoh enjoyed the opporunity to speak French while in Paris, “I speak a little bit of French. It was actually cool to be able to go there and speak French with people. I learned it in high school and

I didn’t think I really picked anything up but I actually picked up quite a bit,” AwukuDarkoh said. On the trip, the team got a chance to see one of the most exciting games of the Women’s FIFA World Cup. “We got to see the USA vs Spain game, so that was cool to see. We got to see Megan Rapinoe, she scored big. They ended up winning that game 2-1.” The second game AwukuDarkoh and the Bears watched wasn’t as thrilling as USA’s win over Spain but it was still a fun experience. “We also got to watch England vs Norway, that was a pretty cool game. We thought it was going to be more of an equal game but England dominated, however it was still fun to watch them, ” AwukuDarkoh said. Even with the rise of popularity in women’s soccer this summer, Awuku-Darkoh doesn’t have plans to play

internationally after she graduates from UCA. “I think it’s a really good change for women’s sports to go into that level and continue to play and get paid almost equal to the men.That’s pretty amazing. Personally, I’m not going to pursue that field but I have some of my teammates that were on the team last year and are currently playing professionally. I think for them that’s pretty encouraging, ” Awuku-Darkoh said. In her last season with the Bears, Awuku-Darkoh is looking forward to the conference tournament. “I am really excited for conference this year,” AwukuDarkoh said. We actually get to host the tournament in Conway this year, so I’m pretty excited for that.” The first opporunity to support the team is Aug. 30 as they host Missouri State University at Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex.

E A R LY S T R U G G L E S

photo courtesy of UCASports

Senior midfielder Connie Awuku-Darkoh dashes pass an Oral Robert defender to take possession. Awuku-Daroh scored the only goal for UCA in the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils on Aug. 25.

Women’s soccer opens with hard loss by Daniel Adams Staff Writer photo by Ronak Patel

Freshman outside hitter Alexis Stumbough hits the ball across the court as freshman middle blocker Kailee Moon and senior outside hitter Abbie Harry jump up for the block. Associate head coach John Newberry said,”The only thing left is for us to perform in real games.”

Volleyball: 4 Continued

Conference success could rely on chemistry

from page 5

Additionally, the committee voted senior setter Elizabeth Armstrong to the conference All-Second team. This is nothing new to Armstrong, as she was voted

Bear Pride: 4 Continued

to the first team in last season’s preseason poll. Conference play won’t begin until Sept. 26 for UCA as they face a strong non-conference schedule to open the season.

The Bears will compete with teams such as Clemson University and Kansas State in the K-State Invitational, as well as Ole Miss in the UCA Classic.

The Bear Marching is filled with enthusiasm

from page 5

Senior UCA Band member Ridge Bryant said the band was also ready to provide the music that will follow the football team to their victories this year. “The energy level that this band has this year is incredible,” Bryant said. “It’s something that I haven’t experienced in my four years [at UCA], so I’m really

excited to see how everybody loves playing for the band -especially the freshmen for their first time.” Freshman Abby Veatch attended the indoor rally with friends, who are all looking forward to the energy that will come out when the Bears hit the fields. “It’s an energy, a feeling when people are there

supporting the same team. It’s just a lot of fun to go to.” Coach Brown also stated in the season’s promotional video that he wouldn’t allow the Bears to be a “6-win team” and that “there’s too much talent...to much work to have been done.” The first game is Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. against Western Kentucky.

Things didn’t go as planned for the UCA Bears women’s soccer team as they lost the first official game of the season 7-1 against the Arizona State Sun Devils, Aug. 25 in Tempe, Arizona. While the first goal of the game was scored by senior midfielder Connie AwukuDarkoh in the eighth minute, Arizona State went on to score 7 straight unanswered goals. With a halftime deficit of 4-1 at the end of the first half, the Bears were unable to answer the offense as the Sun Devils scored 3 more goals to end the game. With several seniors from last year’s team moving on after graduation, head coach Jeremy Bishop thought the team did well for one of their first outings. “We did okay, but there is still a lot to learn. I have a lot of confidence in this group and the work I know they are ready to put into getting better and ready for conference season,” Bishop said. Assistant Coach Derek Nichols echoed these thoughts

about the Bears’ first outing of the season. “[It was] certainly not the result we wanted, but we played against a team that plays in the toughest soccer conference in the country, so we knew it would be a challenging match,” Nichols said. Two of the past three champions in NCAA women’s soccer have come from the Pac-12 with USC in 2016 and Stanford in 2017, emphasizing the difficult opponents the Sun Devils have played on a consistent basis. UCA was predicted in preseason polls to finish the season in second place for the regular season Southland championship, right behind the Abilene Christian University Wildcats. The Bears hope to make up for last year as they took home the regular season crown before being upset in the Southland Conference tournament by the Wildcats. Both Bishop and Nichols agreed that the main goal, as always, is f to make it through the conference tournament and claim a spot in the NCAA

tournament. Despite the tough loss, there was still positives to take away from this game no matter what the score says. “We set up these games to really challenge us to see where we need to get better, and teams like this will make you pay for mistakes and that is what happened tonight,” coach Nichols said. “We will watch film and see what we need to do to eliminate the mistakes we made tonight and get better from it.” With future nonconference games including opponents like Oklahoma State University, the University of Memphis and the continuation of the 1-40 Showdown against the UALR, the Bears have plenty of tough games ahead as they get ready for SLC play. The next game for the UCA will be at the Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex against the Missouri State Bears with kickoff starting at 5 P.M. on Aug.30. Then, they’ll be hitting the road to play against the Arkansas State University Red Wolves on Sept. 1.